


Ring Ring

by Sun_Moon_Stars_Jedi



Series: Vignettes from the Harper-Todd Household [3]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Hood/Arsenal (Comics)
Genre: Dick Grayson is a good older brother, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Mild Language, This is Dick's POV but it is a JayRoy story, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:07:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27487804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sun_Moon_Stars_Jedi/pseuds/Sun_Moon_Stars_Jedi
Summary: The phone is ringing and Dick buries his head under his pillow in the hopes of blocking out the incessant noise.“Hey, Dick,” Jason’s way too cheery voice comes out of the receiver and Dick is so going to murder his brother because this doesnotsound like an emergency.Dick gets invited to what is probably the most important shopping trip of his life - twice.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Dick Grayson & Roy Harper, Roy Harper/Jason Todd
Series: Vignettes from the Harper-Todd Household [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1973860
Comments: 64
Kudos: 386





	1. Chapter 1

The phone is ringing.

The phone is ringing and Dick buries his head under his pillow in the hopes of blocking out the incessant noise. It doesn’t really work, but the phone eventually stops ringing and Dick is left in blessed silence.

Then the phone starts ringing again and with a groan Dick reaches out, head still under the pillow as he swats around the night table for it. He pulls the phone to his ear, answering without looking at the caller ID.

“’lo,” he grumbles, voice mostly muffled by the mattress his face is still pressed against.

This had better be important. Patrol went longer than planned last night, so he had at most gotten two hours of sleep yet, and if this is some kind of prank from one of his siblings…

“Hey, Dick,” Jason’s way too cheery voice comes out of the receiver and Dick is so going to murder his brother because this does _not_ sound like an emergency.

“Did I wake you up?”

Dick can hear the smug smile in Jason’s tone loud and clear and only groans in answer. Stupid little brothers.

“What do you want?”

His voice is still muffled but Jason doesn’t seem to have any problems understanding him (or he simply doesn’t care what Dick says) because he goes on, sounding just as disgustingly energetic as before.

“Can you meet me in the city in an hour? I’ll send you the address. And wear something not hideous. Bye.”

Dick barely has a chance to open his mouth to answer before the line clicks off. With a huff he lets the phone fall onto the mattress.

Stupid little brothers and their stupid tendency to get up so damn early.

And what did Jason mean with ‘wear something not hideous’?! Dick was the pinnacle of fashion, thank you very much. Not his fault that Mr. Leather-jackets-and-combat-boots-for-every-occasion can’t comprehend his genius.

Dick feels sleep drag him back under, the warm cocoon of his blanket not helping at all, and reluctantly drags himself out of bed. He might not like getting up this early, but who is he kidding. For his siblings he would do damn near anything – and with only mild complaining.

Fifty seven minutes later Dick arrives at the address Jason sent him, hair still damp from his rushed shower and stomach grumbling unhappily.

“Couldn’t we have done this later?” Dick says (whines) as he walks up to Jason.

His brother just rolls is eyes like _Dick_ is the unreasonable one here.

“It’s nearly 11am,” Jason only says without an ounce of regret.

His eyes briefly look Dick up and down, apparently checking his clothing choice, and letting out a sigh that sounds remarkably like Alfred’s every time Dick shows up in one of his more glamorous outfits to a gala (hey, he is a born performer; so what if he likes colours?).

“I guess this will have to do,” Jason says, making Dick scowl.

Just because some people don’t have any taste, doesn’t mean that his polka dot shirt and bright red jeans combination isn’t a good look.

“Hey, don’t diss my fashion sense. I get enough appreciative looks to know you’re wrong.”

“Dick, if you haven’t grasped until now that people stare at you because you’re a walking assault on the eyes, I can’t help you.”

“That’s the thanks I get for getting up early,” Dick grumbles, but it’s not as if he really means anything by it. “I didn’t even have any time to eat breakfast,” he tacks on with a pout.

Jason sighs again like the most put upon parent but produces a paper bag from somewhere and passes it to Dick along with a cup of coffee.

“Donuts! I take it all back, you are the perfect little brother,” Dick exclaims happily, already gleefully biting into the first one, although the smirk on Jason’s face gives him pause.

“Are these a commentary on my job or my eating habits? Because either way, I don’t care,” he declares, taking another bite.

“As if I don’t know that by now. Come on,” Jason says, gesturing for Dick to follow him.

They are on a busy street in the middle of Gotham, shops and boutiques lining the sidewalk. This is the quite expensive part of the shopping district too, not a place Dick ventures often unless he has to keep up appearances as Richie Wayne.

Some of his siblings might come here more often, but certainly not Jason, who still believes in mending clothes and buying second hand, even though he has a trust fund just like the rest of them.

“What are we doing here?” Dick asks, looking curiously at Jason, but his brother ignores him, simply continues to lead him down the street.

Until they come to a stop in front of a jeweller of all places.

Dick looks at the shop and then his brother, who is suddenly picking on his sleeves and avoiding his eyes.

“You planning on infringing on Selina’s territory?” Dick asks with a teasing smile.

Jason scoffs, but doesn’t stop his nervous shifting from one foot to the other, so Dick softly prompts, “Jay?”

He is starting to get an idea about what might be going on here, but he doesn’t want to take this moment away from Jason, so he simply waits. People might say differently, but Dick can be patient when it is necessary.

“So,” Jason begins, straightening up with a deep breath and finally looking at Dick, “I want to propose to Roy and I thought you could help me pick out a ring. If you’d like?”

There is something so soft and vulnerable in that last question and Dick can’t react any other way than to beam at his little brother.

“Of course I’ll help you. It would be my honour. That’s…that is so amazing, Jason. I am so happy for you.”

“Well, he hasn’t said yes yet,” Jason says, but he is also smiling.

“He will, Roy loves you so damn much, of course he'll say yes.”

Jason still looks a little bashful, but his fidgeting has stopped and his smile is filled with so much joy, Dick knows his little brother also knows how true that is.

“Why ask me though?” Dick asks with a little smirk, “I thought my taste is so atrocious.”

“Well,” Jason says, a little blush suddenly colouring his cheeks, “it is traditional for the best man to help pick out the ring, so…”

It takes Dick a few seconds to understand what this answer means and once it sinks in all he can get out is a stuttered, “You…you want me to be your best man?”

“Yeah Dickie,” Jason says softly.

“Is that a yes?” Jason asks bemusedly when Dick wraps his arms around him in a tight hug, sniffling slightly as he nods against Jason’s shoulder.

“No need to get so emotional, Big Bird,” Jason murmurs, but Dick can hear the fondness in his brother’s voice as he hugs him back just as tightly.

And maybe Dick is reacting a little strongly, but a few years ago his little brother was dead, and then he came back filled with so much rage and sadness, and to see him now at a point in his life where he is happy and so in love that he plans to propose…

Dick thinks a few tears aren’t that much of an overreaction, really.

They start to get a few odd looks from passers-by the longer they stand there, but Dick doesn’t really care. Eventually though he steps back, wiping the wetness from his cheeks subtly. He isn’t ashamed of crying in public, but he really can do without some paparazzi getting a good shot of this scene and plastering it across the frontpages for the next couple of weeks. Especially given that Roy probably shouldn’t know about this for a while.

“You good?” Jason asks and Dick gives him his biggest smile, the one people always say could light up a room.

“Of course, Little Wing. Let's go find the perfect ring.”

Ring shopping, as it turns out, is a lot harder than Dick would have thought. While Dick has some knowledge about jewellery, he is kind of lost looking at the vast ocean of options, choosing purely by what he thinks Roy would find pretty.

Jason seems to have a much clearer vision of what he is looking for, dismissing most of Dick’s choices with a small shake of his head, the frown on his forehead getting deeper the longer they don’t seem to find anything that matches his preference in the shop. The rings he doesn’t outright veto, Jason looks over with such a critical eyes, you could think he did this sort of thing professionally.

The jeweller showing them the pieces reminds Dick in some ways of Alfred with his calm and collected demeanour, displaying ring after ring for them.

“Perhaps a commissioned ring would be the best option,” he eventually proposes, after nearly two hours of search has yielded only four rings that made it into the ‘maybe’ category.

“Roy and you aren’t really the most conventional guys, I think that would be a good idea,” Dick says, sharing a smile with Jason.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

They use the four rings Jason had already picked as a reference, picking out the features he had liked, look through some more catalogues, and Jason even sketches some small things himself.

In the end the ring Jason commissions is elegant, but not plain, personal, but not overly ostentatious.

Dick can’t wait to see the real thing and going by the way Jason hangs onto his copy of the final sketch as they leave, neither can he.

As such Dick is once again accompanying Jason a week later to the same shop.

The ring is even more beautiful than Dick had imagined, and Dick can tell by the way Jason hardly even breathes once he sees it for the first time that it is exactly what he had pictured.

The ring is relatively wide, made from black tungsten rather than gold or silver. There is only a single gem set into the ring, but the blue-green sapphire matches Jason’s eye colour so perfectly, Dick couldn’t even believe their luck as they had picked it. Looking for that particular colour had been Dick’s idea and seeing the final result he is absolutely certain that Roy will love it.

“Is everything to your satisfaction?” the jeweller asks and Jason nods silently, holding the ring delicately like it is the most precious thing he had ever seen.

“So, do you already have something planned for the proposal?” Dick asks once they are back on the street, heading towards a restaurant to get lunch.

“Kinda,” Jason says and that adorable blush is back on his cheeks. “I’ll tell you once I have all the details,” he goes on when Dick uses his puppy dog eyes on him (they might not work as well on his siblings as they do on Bruce, but it doesn’t hurt to try.)

“You better,” Dick says, bumping his shoulder against Jason’s. “I am your best man, after all,” and Dick can’t help but smile as he says those words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was in the mood for something fluffy with a sprinkle of humor, hope you enjoyed it. Can you guess what happens in the next chapter ;)
> 
> If you'd like to chat, here is a link to [my Tumblr](https://sun-moon-stars-jedi.tumblr.com/).


	2. Chapter 2

The doorbell is ringing.

What kind of person showed up for an unannounced visit at – Dick squints at the clock – 9 in the morning?

Knocking joins the sound of the doorbell and Dick sighs as he gets out of bed, stumbling to his front door still in pyjamas and with his hair going absolutely every which way. A quick look through the peephole reveals Roy standing outside in the hallway and Dick feels his eyebrows go up in surprise.

Sure, he and Roy are friends, practically family by now, but that doesn’t mean the archer makes a habit out of visiting Dick at home; especially not unannounced so early on a weekday.

The only reason Dick can come up with for him to be here this early is that something bad must have happened to Jason (or god forbid Lian) and as soon as the thought crosses his mind he pulls the door open with more force then intended, his heart suddenly beating a lot faster as adrenaline rushes through his veins.

There is no trace of sleepiness left when he demands “What happened?”

“What?”

Roy sounds bewildered and is staring at Dick as if he has gone mad for a few seconds before his expression softens.

“Nothing, everything is fine. Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Dick lets out a long breath, his pulse slowly calming back down. Really, he shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions like this, he knows better than to make assumptions without any evidence. Now that he really thinks about it, even if there was something wrong, Roy wouldn’t come by Dick’s apartment like this, in his civis and knocking on the front door. Especially not with a bag from a bakery in one hand and coffee cups in the other.

“Sorry, sometimes I just expect the worst, you know?” Dick says with an apologetic smile as he steps aside to let Roy in. “So, what does bring you here then?”

“Oh, I dropped Lian off at school and just thought I’d see what you’re up to. Breakfast?”

Roy holds the delicious smelling items up invitingly and Dick nods, gesturing for him to go in the living room. He hasn’t missed the shifty tone of that woefully transparent explanation though.

Roy is here for a reason, Dick is sure, but pushing is never the best strategy with him. Usually Roy will just say what is on his mind given a little space, so Dick simply sits down next to him on the couch and they start in on their breakfast.

“Okay, so,” Roy begins just as Dick takes a big bite of his first delicious croissant (they are from his favourite bakery, too), “wanna be my best man?”

Dick nearly chokes on his bite, eyes going wide with shock, not helped at all by the coughing rendering him speechless and tears suddenly streaming down his face.

“M’fine,” he eventually croaks out as Roy frantically pats his back. “M’good, thanks.”

“Well, I hope that goes better with Jay,” Roy jokes and Dick manages a wheezing little laugh.

“So, are you? You did promise back when we were kids, remember?” Roy says, bumping his shoulder good naturedly and Dick suddenly vividly remembers being 14, talking about their first crushes in Titans Tower and making a pact to stick together through it all. And now they really are here, even after all the ups and downs and winding paths their lives had taken. Dick could never have predicted half of the things that had happened to them in the meantime, least of all that Roy would end up with his little brother (who Dick hadn’t even known at that time, but that is beside the point).

Roy is still looking expectantly at him when Dick comes back from his little reverie and shit, what is he going to answer?

He doesn’t want to say no, wouldn’t ever dream of doing that to one of his oldest friends, and he is genuinely so blown away to even be asked. But he’s already agreed to Jason’s request and he obviously can’t be the best man for both grooms at the same wedding.

That is not something he can explain to Roy, though. He had promised Jason not to spoil his surprise, so there is only one answer Dick can give really.

“Of course I’d love to be your best man,” Dick says, which is technically not a lie, and Roy’s answering smile is so happy and genuine, Dick can’t resist leaning forward and hugging him.

“So you’re going to make an honest man out of Jay, huh?” Dick asks and feels Roy’s shoulders shake as he chuckles.

“He doesn’t need me for that,” Roy says and Dick feels tears start to itch behind his eyes, this time not because of food going down the wrong pipe.

“You really love him.”

It’s not really something Dick has doubted ever since Jason and Roy had gotten together, he had seen their devotion to each other time and time again, but he feels like he has to make sure in this moment, like it is his responsibility to both of them.

“I do,” Roy says, and all humour is gone from his voice now, left is only pure honesty. “I want him to know that, if he will have me, he’s my forever.”

Dick squeezes Roy a little more, hearing the tightness in his voice.

“He feels the same way about you, I’m absolutely certain,” Dick says, and he truly is. No one could have seen Jason holding that beautiful engagement ring intended for Roy for the first time, the way he had been absolutely mesmerized and star-struck, and not known this.

“And also,” Roy says, leaning back so he can look at Dick, “if he wants to, this means he can adopt Lian. And he deserves to officially be her dad. He’s just as important to her as me or Jade.”

“That’s…he’ll love that.”

Dick doesn’t have the words to express how much that will mean to Jason but from the soft smile on Roy’s face, he must know. Of course he does, who else knows Jason better than him?

“First he’ll have to say yes, though,” Roy says, making Dick scoff in amusement, because there really is no doubt about that, and given Roy’s smile as he says it, he knows it too.

“Get dressed and then we can go,” Roy goes on, starting to gather the empty wrappings from their breakfast.

“Go?” Dick asks, confused, “go where?”

“Ring shopping, of course. If I’m going to propose I’m going to do it right. This isn’t supposed to be some spur of the moment thing. I’m gonna do this the traditional way, like in all those romance novels. Jay will love that, the nerd.”

Dick flounders for a second because he hadn’t expected things to move this quickly, but he can’t really back out now, so he gets up and turns towards his bedroom to change.

“Wait,” he says slowly, stopping just before leaving the room and turning back around as Roy’s words spark an idea in his mind. “The traditional way. Does that mean you’re planning on doing _everything_ , including asking B for Jay’s hand?”

Dick’s voice may have gotten a little high and excited at that prospect. Oh, how he would love to listen in on that conversation. 

He doesn’t expect the bright red flush that suddenly appears on Roy’s pale skin and the slightly bashful look on his face.

“Oh my god,” Dick exclaims, bounding back over to the couch, “you already did that?! Tell me everything. Did Bruce get all emotional? Did he cry? Please, tell me you took pictures.”

“I’ll tell you if you hurry up and get ready,” Roy says and Dick gasps at the betrayal.

Roy remains adamant, even in the face of Dick’s best pout (it’s the one that works even on Diana), so he has no other option than to comply.

“This is manipulative, you know?” Dick says as he comes out of his bedroom, having thrown on the first clothes he could get his hands on. At least Roy doesn’t play fashion police when he sees him, simply grins wide and opens the front door.

“All’s fair in love and war, Dickie.”

“Bruce didn’t cry,” Roy says once they are in the car on their way into the city. Dick is completely silent, too interested to interrupt or ask any more questions.

“He hugged me, though. Dick, your father _hugged_ me. And I wasn’t even bleeding out or anything.”

Dick cracks a smile, because Roy is obviously going for humorous right now, but he can hear the emotional edge buried under those words.

“And,” Roy goes on after a pause, eyes resolutely on the road, voice a lot more sober, “he offered his grandparents wedding rings. Said he would be honoured if we wore them. I told him I’d have to ask Jay once we got that far but…I think he really approves.”

There is something so unbelieving in Roy’s voice that Dick wants to hug him, squeeze all those old self-doubts out of this wonderful man who has given Dick’s little brother his heart and soul, but still seems surprised when people acknowledge this devotion. As they are driving he can’t do that, so he settles for a warm hand on Roy’s shoulder.

“You’re a part of this family, Roy. And that has been true for a long time, whether you and Jay get married or not.”

Roy gives him a small, grateful smile and then concentrates back on the road.

Minutes later Dick has to fight down the urge to laugh because Roy has taken him to the same jeweller as Jason did. If that isn’t a sign that they are perfect for each other, than Dick doesn’t know what would be.

They step inside and the same jeweller comes over to talk to them and Dick hopes he understands the signals of ‘Don’t mention our previous meeting, this is the other part of the couple we were searching a ring for last time’ he tries to send with his wide eyes and subtle hand gestures.

It really isn’t a message that is well communicated this way, but the jeweller seems to understand Dick’s impromptu charades because he greets them as if he had never seen Dick before.

Then the strangest sense of déjà-vu overcomes Dick, because this shopping trip is just like the one he previously was on with Jason and ends once again in the order of a custom made engagement ring. This one will be made from gold, with three gemstones set into it. Three red rubies, a small one with two bigger stones to both sides, connected by an intricate pattern.

“It’s you two and Lian as a ring, that’s perfect,” Dick had said when the idea came to him and the soft smile on Roy’s face had been truly wonderful.

Really, if any other of his siblings ever need a ring, Dick is now practically an expert on the whole process. And his creative ideas are truly on-point if he can say so himself.

As they leave the shop Dick has the brief thought that two engagement rings aren’t really necessary, as only one of them will get to ask the question, but they had both been so happy to create these perfect symbols of their love for the other, he is sure they will both be worn regardless of who proposes in the end.

One of them would just do it first and then they could laugh about this whole situation. Everything would be fine, Dick is sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I say 2 chapters? Well, it turns out it's going to be 3 ;)
> 
> Thank you so much for the nice comments and kudos =D


	3. Chapter 3

Things are not fine.

Or, they are still fine now, but in a few hours they might not be anymore. Or they might be perfectly splendid, Dick simply doesn’t know and that is driving him crazy.

Right now Dick is stressing about what he could have done differently to avoid this situation, his fingers nervously tapping against the steering wheel as he drives through Gotham to Jason and Roy’s apartment. He’s regretting ever agreeing to help either of them pick out a ring. Honestly, he doesn’t know if he should laugh or cry at how perfectly everything is coming together to either spell disaster or make this one of the most romantic stories this family has ever seen.

Last week Jason had called to ask if Dick could babysit Lian. That in and of itself wasn’t a problem. Dick loves spending time with his quasi-niece and gladly takes every babysitting opportunity he has time for.

No, the problem was that Roy had also asked just a day earlier than Jason, excitedly explaining that it would be his and Jason’s anniversary and he had everything planned - this would be _the day_.

And then a day later Jason had said the exact same thing!

And now Dick is driving over, switching between the urge to laugh at how in sync these two idiots are, fitting so well together that they planned the same damn proposal for each other, or crying because this whole evening had all the makings of an epic family drama, with Dick at the centre of it.

Dick honest to god had tried to subtly get at least one of them to change his plan, but nothing he had said had been of use.

“Isn’t a proposal on an anniversary a little cliché?” he had asked Roy.

“Yeah, because it’s super romantic. Jason will absolutely love it! He’ll feel like he’s in a Jane Austen novel and let me tell you, that is one of his life goals. Man, am I the perfect guy for your brother or not?.”

Yes he was and that was exactly Dick’s problem.

“Don’t you want to do something a little more exciting? Proposing in a restaurant is kind of tame for you guys,” Dick had tried with Jason.

“Our lives are exciting enough as it is. I wanna marry Roy so we can share everything, even the boring stuff. Growing old together - isn’t that more exciting than whatever stuff we do in costume?”

Oh, why did Jason have to pick that moment to open up and get all sweet and vulnerable?

Dick hadn’t had the heart to argue with either of them beyond that, because how could he? They were both absolutely right, their (identical) proposal idea was literally perfect for the other, but did they have to plan it on the exact same day? And, more importantly, drag Dick into it like this?

So here Dick is, standing in front of his brother’s and future brother-in-law’s apartment, feeling nervous about ringing the doorbell. 

‘Here goes nothing’ is his last thought before pushing the button and putting on a wide smile as Roy pulls the door open to let him in.

“Dick, you’re on time?” his old friend asks, looking at him with wide eyes and exaggerated surprise colouring his tone.

Dick just scoffs, bumping lightly against the redhead as he walks inside.

“I can leave again if you don’t want me here,” he says with mock indignation, but by then there is already a small blur shooting towards him from the living room, colliding so hard he lets out an “Oompf” as arms wrap tightly around his middle.

“Uncle Dickie,” Lian cries, and in the face of such enthusiasm Dick’s heart melts.

“Hey there, little princess,” Dick greets, ruffling Lian’s hair with one hand and hugging her back with the other.

“Dick, it took me ages to braid her hair, you’re messing it all up,” Jason says as he emerges from the living room, sighing as if Dick is the bane of his existence.

“Relax, Little Wing. I’m a master hairstylist, I can fix that with my eyes closed.”

Both Jason and Roy look very sceptical but Lian is bouncing excitedly and with a quick look at each other they apparently come to the conclusion that no matter what skill-level Dick possesses in that regard, he is still an adequate babysitter because Jason just sighs again while Roy shrugs his shoulders. 

They are both dressed unusually formal and as they get out their coats from the closet Dick has the insane urge to stop them and get a camera, make them pose like they are going to prom or something, so there will be a record of this occasion.

“Your daddy and Jay look very handsome today, don’t they?” Dick asks Lian and the seven-year old gives him a nod before a mischievous smile breaks out across her face as she beckons Dick to lean down.

“Daddy couldn’t tie his tie on his own, so I had to do it,” Lian says in a conspiratorial whisper, but her words are definitely loud enough so that both Jason and Roy can still hear.

Jason snorts in amusement as Dick himself laughs, Roy pouting not so subtly.

“Lucky that your daddy has you then,” Dick says, tapping Lian on the nose, and her cheeks immediately take on an adorable red colour as she flushes with pride.

“I am lucky,” Roy agrees, stepping forward and pressing a fast kiss to the top of Lian’s head before he turns back and takes Jason’s hand, “but if we dawdle any longer we’re going to be late for the theatre, so get a move on, Jaybird.”

Jason rolls his eyes but waves goodbye at Dick and Lian as Roy pulls him out of the apartment, calling back that Dick better not give Lian too much sugar just before the door closes.

Dick lets out a quiet breath as they leave. Well, now there really isn’t anything for him to do about this situation anymore, so he’ll just have to wait and see what will happen. Roy and Jason are both adults, it probably won’t even be that big of a thing.

“Dick,” Lian says loudly, dragging him out of his musings as a hand snatches his sleeve and she begins to lead him towards the living room, “I built a new bow, daddy even let me use his workshop for it, come look!”

Dick dutifully lets her show him her newest invention, marvelling at her creativity and talent. He had always known she would be an amazing kid, smart like Roy and determined like Jason, but each time he is blown away anew by her genius.

There is a prepared dinner in the fridge (Jason doesn’t trust Dick to cook, which is totally unjustified…well, mostly at least) so Dick puts it in the oven to heat up and lets Lian hop up on the counter so he can redo her hair.

He hadn’t been lying about his talents in that area and when he is finished Lian rushes to a mirror, letting out a delighted squeal as she sees her picture perfect Fishtail braid.

“How did you get so good at this?” she asks as they dig into dinner.

“Lots of practice,” Dick says, grinning as Lian shovels her food in as if it might disappear any second. That habit she no doubt has from both her fathers.

“I used to have long hair like you, you know? And I often helped Aunt Kori and Babs with theirs. And I practice on Tim on occasion, but him I have to catch when he’s so focused on something he won’t notice while I’m doing it, or he’ll complain about having to sit still for so long, which is just ridiculous.”

“Well, you can braid my hair whenever you want, you’re so much better at it than daddy and Jayjay,” Lian declares, making Dick grin.

After dinner they move back to the living room and get out some games. Lian might be young, but she gives Dick a run for his money at each and every one of them. He can’t remember the last time he played such an intense match of Go Fish, honestly.

As such it isn’t surprising that Dick completely loses track of time, barely even thinking about when might be the moment Jason or Roy will finally pop the question. He is so absorbed in the game, the text message chime of his phone registers only very distantly in his brain.

He can get that later is all he thinks, instead squinting at Lian and trying to interpret whether her smirk means she is bluffing or not. He really shouldn’t have agreed to Poker when she had declared Go Fish too boring.

A few minutes after the first message his phone chimes again, though. And again. And then it vibrates so constantly with incoming messages, it moves across the desk and nearly topples to the floor if not for Dick catching it.

Dick feels himself tense as he swipes across the screen, already dreading whatever emergency is going to ruin this evening, but to his surprise the messages are all from their family group chat – the civilian one, not the Bat one. And although both parts of their lives are pretty interwoven, there is still that clear distinction in their communication, meaning that if this was a vigilante emergency, everyone would use the dedicated Bat channel to reach out.

So this is just some regular family drama, Dick thinks as he opens the app, his entire body relaxing slightly at the realisation. Not that family drama can’t also be bad, but it at least doesn’t promise a body count, so he definitely prefers it to the alternative.

The newest message is from Stephanie, and simply reads ‘OMG!!!!’ with a row of laughing-crying emojis behind it. As he scrolls upwards Dick gets the distinct impression that whatever has happened seems to be hilarious, because Cass had also responded with the same emoji, prefaced with hearts and kissy faces.

Damian has only written ‘Those idiots’, but that is practically fond for him, and in Dick’s head an idea begins to form what this might be about, especially as he reads the dry ‘Unconventional, but it suits them’ left by Alfred.

Even Bruce has responded, and Dick can practically hear his tired but happy tone from the simple ‘Don’t tease your brother about it. Be happy for him.’

Then Dick comes to the first message that had started the whole thread and it is even worse than he had expected. Because Tim hadn’t posted a message or a picture. No, there is a link to a _video_ with Tim’s barely coherent ‘asdfghj watch this, i’m dying, it’s so funny’ underneath.

“What are you watching?” Lian asks over his shoulder just as Dick clicks the link and he hadn’t even heard her move, the little sneak.

“I think it’s your dads,” Dick says as the video loads and he has to do a double take as he reads the view counter at nearly a quarter million already, even though the video is barely 20 minutes up.

Might have to do with the word ‘Wayne’ in the title, but Dick can’t focus on that as the video starts with a shaky phone camera shot taken inside a nice little Italian restaurant, the one Jason swears has the best garlic bread on the whole planet.

The picture steadies and there, right in the centre, is Jason, sitting at a table, his mouth open in what is clearly shock as he stares down at Roy, who is on one knee before him, ring held up in his hand.

“Oh my god,” Lian squeals behind Dick and he feels her jumping up and down before she rests her head on Dick’s shoulder to get a better look, “Daddy proposed to Jayjay? That is so awesome.”

Dick nods, a happy smile taking over his face without him even thinking about it, but he doesn’t say anything because on the screen Jason finally comes out of his daze. Instead of saying something though, he begins to rummage through his pockets, standing up to do so, and the angle is just right so Dick can clearly see the confused frown that slowly takes over Roy’s face.

“Jaybird?” 

Roy sounds a little uncertain but before he can say anything else Jason finds what he was looking for. He pulls out a familiar little box and seconds later he is on his knee as well, also with a ring in his hand.

“Roy Harper, will _you_ marry me?”

Dick has known his brother long enough to recognize the amused undertone as he says those words and the answering wide-eyed stare Roy levels in disbelief at him, complete with him opening and closing his mouth without any sound coming out, has Dick grinning at his phone.

“They both proposed! That’s just like in a movie,” Lian giggles, bouncing once again behind Dick as if she simply can’t contain her excitement, and Dick only nods, eyes still glued to his phone.

Once Roy is over his shock a soft smile blooms across his face and the way his and Jason’s eyes meet, holding each other’s gaze for long seconds…gentle is the word that comes to mind, or warm. Filled with love, of that Dick is absolutely sure, and this is so much more real than any movie ever could be.

Dick hears Lian suck in a breath in anticipation, holding it as she waits, absolutely still now, for whatever will happen next. In the video it is as if a spell has fallen over the entire restaurant, the few people Dick can see in the background don’t move an inch and there is no sound audible, the entire world seems to be focused on Jason and Roy, who only have eyes for each other.

“You really are the best thing that ever happened to me,” Roy says before he leans forward, Jason meeting him in the middle for a kiss and the restaurant erupts into cheers and applause.

Lian lets out a loud “Eww” making Dick laugh, but a quick look to the side shows him that she is only pretending, her eyes shining with happiness even as her nose scrunches in faked disgust.

The kiss is a little deeper and goes on much longer than is usually socially acceptable at a restaurant, but that is just typical for the pair of them, and no one seems to mind, really.

Once they part both Jason and Roy are a little flushed and have such absolutely open smiles on their faces, leaving no doubt about how both of them feel in that moment.

The room around them quiets again, everyone’s focus no doubt still on the couple, but neither of them shows even the slightest hint that they are aware of their audience, simply looking at one another for several long moments.

It’s Jason who moves first, leaning forward slightly and reaching for Roy’s free hand, changing his hold on the ring in his hand so he can slip it onto Roy’s finger.

“What are you doing?” Roy asks, sounding amused, and quirks an eyebrow as the ring is inches from his finger.

“Well, I thought that was obvious,” Jason says in his typically dry tone, making Lian snorts as Dick chuckles.

“Yeah,” Roy says slowly, “but you see Jaybird, I asked first-“ Roy’s hand deftly twists out of Jason’s gentle hold, taking his hand instead and holding up the other ring to Jason’s finger, ”-so I get to put the ring on first.”

“Since when do we follow conventions?” Jason asks, his smile turning a little sharper and Dick can see the sparkle of a challenge in his eyes.

And Roy, who is never one to back down, slowly grins back.

Oh no.

Dick has seen these looks often enough to know that whatever will happen next, it will most certainly not be the smartest decision either of them has ever made.

“Has to be a first time for everything, doesn’t it?” Roy answers lightly.

The next few seconds are a flurry of movement and Dick is sure if he were to watch the video in slow motion, he would see both Roy and Jason employ what are definitely hand-to-hand combat moves in order to catch the other one’s hand long enough to get a ring on their finger.

They are pretty evenly matched though, which Jason seams to realize first and promptly tackles Roy. He brings up one hand behind his head to prevent him from smashing into the hard floor, but the move is still forceful enough to make the redhead let out a stunned gasp as he meets the ground.

Jason immediately straddles Roy’s waist, leaning forward with a smirk as he gets a hold of both of Roy’s wrists, and suddenly Dick feels the very insistent urge to cover Lian’s eyes, because holy Batcow Jason, did you forget you were in public? On camera?

“Will you accept my ring?” Jason asks, voice deep and low, face inches from Roy’s.

A hush has fallen over the restaurant once more, the anticipation is nearly tangible, and Dick finds himself holding his breath as he waits for Roy’s answer, Lian just as quiet next to him.

Roy’s eyes are fixed on Jason’s, both of them still focused only on the other. When Roy leans up ever so slightly Jason responds in kind, almost automatically moving to close the scant distance between them for another kiss, and Dick can tell what will happen a second before it does.

Roy’s entire body tenses, his right foot braces against the floor, and in one fluid movement he has reversed their positions, smirking down at Jason. Without hesitation Roy grabs Jason’s hand and before he can react beyond the stunned look on his face, Roy has slipped the ring on his finger.

“I do,” Roy says and Jason looks a little confused until Roy holds his own hand out expectantly.

Jason lets out a little huff but he takes Roy’s hand and very gently slips his own ring over his fiancé’s finger.

“This means I get to do this first at our wedding,” Jason grumbles, making Roy grin.

“Sure babe,” Roy answers, leaning down for another kiss, “that’s only fair.”

This time there are catcalls in the background, but the two of them don’t let that disturb them. Once they part Roy stands up, offering Jason a hand which he takes with a smile, and then they finally face the camera, hands entwined and looking so damn happy it makes Dick’s heart nearly melt.

A blush starts to creep over Jason’s face as he takes in their audience, but that doesn’t diminish the absolute happiness of his smile. Roy is beaming next to him, completely unabashed, and this image Dick will have to print out and frame, even if he guesses Alfred or even Bruce might have already done so.

“Well, I hope you enjoyed the show,” Roy says, garnering laughter from the crowd.

Then the room erupts into uproarious cheers and wolf whistles as he suddenly turns towards Jason, puts his arm around his waist and dips him into a passionate kiss, which is the image the video ends on.

Before Dick can do or say anything Lian has already tapped on the repeat icon and that is how they spend the rest of the evening, Lian insisting on watching the video over and over. Her bedtime has long since passed at this point, but Dick really can’t bring himself to argue, not when she is beaming with happiness like this.

By the time they hear the front door open Lian’s eyes are drooping, but she bolts upright at the sound and then immediately jumps from the couch and runs for the door.

“Shouldn’t you be in-“ is all Roy can say before Dick hears an “Oof” and once he makes it to the corridor he sees that Lian has run straight into her dad, one arm wrapped tightly around his middle, the other as far around Jason as she can reach.

“You two are getting married!” she exclaims excitedly, looking from one to the other with a big smile. “Can I see the rings, please, please, please-“

“Of course, sweetie,” Roy says, holding up his left hand so Lian can inspect the ring while hugging her back with his right. Jason does the same and for several minutes the three of them just stand there together, Lian admiring the engagement rings while her dads hold her close.

Lian is already in her pyjamas and Roy and Jason look kind of dishevelled in their suits (Dick can guess why it took them so long to come home), but they still look like a perfect little family in that moment. 

Dick manages to take a picture with his phone before Jason’s eyes meet his after he hears the shutter and there is nothing but pure joy in his expression. Dick smiles back, feeling just as happy for his brother. 

Once Lian is finally satisfied with her inspection he walks over to congratulate the two of them as well, hugging first Jason and then Roy tightly, his cheeks starting to ache from how much he has been smiling the whole evening.

Lian is chattering a mile a minute, bouncing around in excitement and already asking a million questions about the wedding. When it will be, where, who will come, will she get a new dress, can she invite all her friends…

It doesn’t take long however before her energy finally does run out and Roy carries her off to her room with a fond smile once she falls asleep nearly mid-sentence.

Dick packs away the games that are still strewn about the living room and when he is done he looks up to find both Roy and Jason staring at him.

“What’s up?” he asks, and the way Jason cocks his eyebrow at him just like Alfred does when he's calling someone stupid without saying the words would be hilarious if it wasn’t directed at him. Similarly Roy has his hands on his hips in his ‘disappointed dad pose’ and Dick doesn’t need them to answer to know that this is about.

“You see, it’s actually a funny story,“ Dick begins placatingly as Jason’s eyebrow climbs up higher, “you both asked and I didn’t want to spoil the surprise, you know. I just wanted to help you guys.”

Neither of them reacts and Dick feel his nerves frazzle with every second that goes by. They can’t really be angry with him, can they? It’s not like Dick actively tried to deceive them, it all just kind of happened.

“Well, you were a great help with the rings,” Roy concedes eventually and Dick doesn’t miss how both of them glance down at their new jewellery.

“I guess you are forgiven, Dickiebird,” Jason sighs, his dramatic tone undercut by the fondness in his expression, Roy nodding sagely next to him, and Dick can’t stop the relieved laugh that bubbles out of him.

“Still though,” Roy says coming over to squeeze Dick’s shoulder warmly, “you were a really big help, but we can’t both have the same best man for the wedding, so-“

“I call dibs on Kori,” Jason declares, making both Roy and Dick stare at him.

“What? No, I want Kori. Dick’s your brother, you can keep him.”

“You’ve known him longer, you can have him.”

“You asked him first, so he’s your best man.”

“Yeah, but I also called dibs on Kori first, so I get to choose and I want Kori. She’s much more awesome than Dick.”

“Hey,” Dick chimes in, feeling vaguely insulted by this turn of events, even though he can’t really argue against the awesomeness of Kori. The way both of them immediately smirk at him absolutely in sync makes Dick groan. “You two are terrible, you know that?”

“Yeah, but you love us,” Jason says grandly, putting his arm around Dick’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, I will graciously still accept you as my best man.”

“What’s the catch?” Dick asks.

He’s known Jason long enough to be aware that he never misses an opportunity to mess with Dick, especially when he feels it is justified.

“Oh, nothing really. It’s just the usual best man duties. Plan the bachelor party, hold a speech, convince Damian to be the ring bearer, keep Bruce from paying for everything. You know, nothing you can’t handle.”

Dick lets out an exaggerated groan, making Jason cackle. Roy rolls his eyes fondly at them, and Dick can’t help but laugh too, his chest filled with so much happiness from the last few hours it feels impossible to contain.

Standing there, laughing with his freshly engaged little brother and his fiancé, Dick honestly can’t even recall why he was ever worried about this day. Everything worked out just perfect in the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The video goes viral, images of the dip-kiss are everywhere, Bruce can't escape them. The other Batkids think their dad cringing at something like that is hilarious after some of Brucie's public stunts and hang up copies everywhere in the Manor. Bruce sighs and tries to escape to the Watchtower, but even there he isn't safe. Print outs greet him in the lobby, the corridors, the conference room, wherever he turns, there are Jason and Roy, making out.  
> It's the first time he and Ollie have ever looked at each other and been in total agreement as they both flee the conference room.
> 
> I am firmly convinced that even if Jason and Roy try to do things conventionally, it would turn out kind of chaotic and wild, because that's just who they are. And I thought this would be fun ;)
> 
> Thank you all so much for your lovely comments =D


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